1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a message card and, particularly, to a greeting card having thereon audio signal recording and reproducing function together with visual signal.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 8 shows an example of prior art audio message card. In the drawing, shown at numeral 16 is the message card, at 3 is a control circuit for controlling recording, storing and reproducing function of audio data, at 5 is a speaker at 6, are speaker connecting wires for connecting the speaker with the control circuit, at 8 is a dry battery acting as an electric source for driving the control circuit 3 and the speaker 5, at 17 is a substrate of the circuit 3, at 18 is a switch element for activating the reproduction of the audio signal, at 19 are connecting wires for electrically connecting the switch element 18 with the control circuit 3, at 20 is a writing terminal connected to the circuit substrate 17 for writing desired audio data into the control circuit 3, and at 21 is a audio signal generating unit.
In assembling the phonetic signal generating unit 21 into the phonetic message card 16, the control circuit 3 formed of for example epoxy resin is first mounted on the rigid substrate 17, then, the switch connecting wires 19, the speaker connecting wires 6 and the writing terminal 20 are electrically connected by for example soldering respectively, thereby the switch element 18 and the speaker 5 can be connected through the writing terminal 20 with outside recording and writing equipment (not shown). The dry battery 8 is connected to the control circuit 3 on the substrate 17 usually through pressing means not shown in the drawing.
The audio signal generating unit 21 being assembled as above described is incorporated in the audio message card 16 which has thereon various visual printed messages in accordance with the object of the merchandise and has been folded into a predetermined size, and a portion of the writing terminal 20 is exposed from an end surface of the sheet like message card 16. In writing the audio message, the exposed portion of the writing terminal 20 is connected to the outside recording and writing equipment, so that the audio message in the form of digital data of a predetermined format is stored and reserved as one time writable type ROM (referred hereinafter as OTPROM) which is provided in the control circuit 3. When the writing is completed, the exposed portion of the writing terminal 20 is cut off and is disposed of. The audio message is reproduced by pushing a switch position P on the surface of the card 16 so as to activate the switch element 18 which is provided just below the switch position P, thereby, the audio data reserved in the control circuit 3 is reproduced and, in the control circuit 3, the signal is converted in digital-analog conversion and is amplified to excite the speaker 5 so as to generate the audio signal.
In the prior art phonetic message card, the circuit substrate 17, the switch element 18 as activating means for reproducing the audio signal, switch connecting wires 19, the speaker connecting wires 6 and the writing terminal 20 are constituted of distinct parts so that it is required to apply electrical connecting process such as soldering. The process increases the cost by increasing the number of hours during the assembling process, and decreases the reliability in the connection. When the reliability in the connection decreases the operation of the speaker will sometimes be impaired, and the object of transmitting the message of the greeting card will not be achieved. Further, the prior art message card has both of visual and phonetic messages, but the visual message is limited to fixed messages printed or written on the surface of the message card.
An object of the present invention is to overcome above described deficiencies in prior art message card and to provide a message card wherein a reliably recording and reproduction desired audio message is achieved. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a new message card is provided reliably permits recording and reproduction both audio and visual messages.